Pigmentation and melasma
Most pigmentation can be lightened, and the right treatment depends on which kind you have, so a doctor looks first. Sun spots and freckles usually fade over a short course; melasma and the dark marks left by spots or irritation need a slower, gentler plan, especially on darker skin. Melasma can be improved and kept in check, not cured, and daily sun protection matters as much as any treatment.
At a glance
- Who you’ll see
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- Dr. Svetlana Tagaeva Medical Director
- Dr. Olga Ibrakova Cosmetology
- Where
- CREAMÉ, 350 Al Wasl Road, Jumeirah 1, Dubai
- What may help
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- BBL HEROic Light therapy
- MOXI Laser resurfacing
- Sylfirm X RF microneedling
The short answer
Sun spots and scattered pigment usually respond to broadband light or a gentle resurfacing laser. Stubborn pigment, and darker skin tones, often do better with radiofrequency microneedling, which carries less risk of provoking pigment.
Probably not that: Melasma behaves differently: heat can make it worse. A doctor assesses it before any light or laser is chosen.
What it is, and why it happens
Pigmentation means patches or spots that are darker than the skin around them, where pigment cells make more melanin or lay it down unevenly. Three kinds account for most of what people notice, and they behave so differently that the kind matters more than the colour.
Sun spots (solar lentigines) are flat, well-defined brown marks on the face, hands and chest, built up over years of sun; freckles are smaller and darken with summer sun. Both sit near the surface and tend to respond well to treatment, small spots more readily than large patches.
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is the dark mark left after acne, eczema, an insect bite, a burn, or a product or procedure that irritated the skin. It is more common, darker and slower to fade on deeper skin tones; sun makes it darker, and left alone it can take months or even years to go.
Melasma forms larger, symmetrical brown or grey-brown patches on the cheeks, forehead, nose, upper lip or jawline. It is more common in women and in darker skin types, though men get it too, and it is linked to sun, visible light, hormones (pregnancy, the contraceptive pill, hormone therapy) and family history. Its pigment can sit near the surface, deeper in the skin or both, and small blood vessels seem to play a part, which is partly why it responds unevenly and tends to return.
What may help
BBL HEROic · Light therapy
Broadband light suits sun spots, freckles and the scattered brown patches of sun-damaged skin, mainly on lighter and medium skin tones. The pigment absorbs the light, and treated spots often darken first, then flake away over five to ten days. A course is usually three to five sessions, three to four weeks apart, with change often visible within one to two weeks of each; in a study of pulsed light for sun spots and freckles, about half the people treated saw their pigment lighten by more than half. Downtime is usually little: some mild redness for a few hours, then strict sun protection and no heat or strong actives for a few days. With melasma, light can provoke pigment as easily as clear it, and on deeper skin tones it carries more risk of dark or light patches, so the doctor may choose another treatment instead.
MOXI · Laser resurfacing
MOXI is a gentle 1927 nm laser that renews the surface layer, where early sun spots, uneven tone and dullness sit. It works on the water in skin cells rather than on pigment, so it can be used on every skin tone, though on deeper skin and with melasma the doctor sets it carefully, because heat-based lasers can occasionally provoke pigment. A course is usually two to four sessions a few weeks apart, and a glow can show after the first; in a study of this laser, two sessions a month apart lightened brown spots, which were still lighter three months later, although some pigment returned over the summer. Downtime is usually minimal: redness for a few hours, then a fine, bronzed, sandpaper-like texture from about the second day that sheds within a week, with strict sun protection afterwards. One or two sessions a year help keep tone even.
Sylfirm X · RF microneedling
Sylfirm X is radiofrequency microneedling: fine needles deliver short pulses of energy beneath the surface, to the pigmented tissue and the small vessels involved in melasma, instead of targeting pigment from above. That is why the doctor often chooses it for melasma, stubborn pigment and darker skin tones, as part of a plan with sun protection and, where appropriate, prescription skin care. A course is usually three to five sessions about four weeks apart; a first change can show within one to two weeks, and the fuller result at eight to twelve weeks. In a small controlled study in women with melasma, three sessions improved it and the improvement held at six months, while about one in ten saw it return within four months. Pinkness and a sunburn-like feeling for a day or two are usual; darker patches after inflammation are uncommon but possible, especially with sun.
What to be careful with
Heat can make melasma worse, and that includes heat from treatments: strong laser or light settings, or anything that irritates the skin, can leave it darker than before. Everyday heat seems to matter too: in a large study, the longer people spent near cooking fires or working in the heat, the more severe their melasma. So a melasma plan is gentle and steady rather than strong, and keeps saunas, steam and hot yoga away from the days around each session.
On deeper skin tones, light and lasers aimed at pigment can also heat the skin's own colour and leave dark, or sometimes light, patches. The doctor chooses the treatment, the wavelength and the settings for your skin, and sometimes the answer is radiofrequency microneedling, or sun protection and skin care first.
What probably won't help: scrubbing, harsh home peels and strong products used without advice irritate the skin, and irritation itself can leave dark marks. A facial can brighten skin for a while but does not remove pigment, and a single session rarely changes melasma for long: it takes a course, then upkeep.
What matters in Dubai
Dubai's sun is strong all year, and with skin types IV to VI common here, it is not only UV that matters: visible light also darkens pigment on medium and darker skin, and keeps it dark for longer. A broad-spectrum SPF 50, reapplied through the day, protects better when it is tinted, because the iron oxides that give the tint also block visible light; in studies, people using such sunscreens had fewer melasma relapses. Shade, a wide-brimmed hat and staying out of the midday sun do the rest.
Heat is the other local factor, from the summer itself to saunas and steam rooms. Pigment also tends to creep back over a summer, which is what maintenance sessions are for.
Summer travel, Ramadan and Eid are worth planning around. Spots treated with broadband light often darken and flake for up to ten days, so the last session before a wedding or a big gathering is usually planned at least two weeks ahead, and a melasma plan runs over months.
When to see a doctor first
Not every dark spot is pigmentation to lighten. The doctor looks at your spots before any light or laser treatment, and a spot or mole that is new, growing, changing, uneven in colour or irregular at the edge, or that itches or bleeds, is checked medically first, because these can be warning signs of melanoma, a skin cancer.
The doctor also asks about what drives melasma: pregnancy or plans for one, the contraceptive pill or hormone therapy, and medicines that make skin more sensitive to light or can darken it. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, treatment usually waits and sun protection carries the plan; a patch that appeared with a new medicine is discussed with the doctor who prescribed it.
Questions people ask
Can melasma be cured?
No treatment cures it, but it can be lightened and kept under control. Melasma is chronic and tends to return with sun, heat and hormonal change, often within months if protection lapses, so a plan includes daily sunscreen and usually a maintenance session or two a year.
What is the difference between melasma and sun spots?
Sun spots are separate, well-defined brown marks caused by years of sun, and they usually respond well to light treatment. Melasma forms larger, symmetrical patches, is linked to hormones and visible light as well as UV, and needs gentler treatment. Many people have both, which is why the doctor looks first.
Can pigmentation be treated on darker skin?
Yes, with care. Darker skin makes pigment more readily after any inflammation, so the plan avoids anything that irritates or overheats it: radiofrequency microneedling, which works beneath the surface, and carefully set laser are the usual choices, with strict sun protection.
How soon will I see a difference?
Sun spots treated with broadband light usually darken and flake within a week or two, and each session lightens them further. Melasma and dark marks change more slowly: after radiofrequency microneedling the fuller result tends to show at eight to twelve weeks, and progress is judged against photographs taken in the same light each time.
Should I wait for winter to treat pigmentation?
It helps but is not essential. The cooler months, roughly October to April, make it easier to avoid strong sun and heat, which lowers the chance of pigment returning; treatment can still go ahead in summer if you keep to strict sun protection and avoid tanning around each session.
BBL HEROic, MOXI or Sylfirm X: which suits my pigmentation?
They do different jobs. BBL HEROic targets visible spots and suits sun spots and freckles on lighter and medium skin; MOXI renews the surface for uneven tone and early sun spots, on any skin tone; Sylfirm X works beneath the surface and is usually the doctor's choice for melasma and stubborn pigment. They can be combined in one plan when that serves your skin.
How do I choose a skin clinic for melasma or pigmentation treatment?
Choose one where a doctor examines your skin before naming a device. A careful first visit tells melasma apart from sun spots and dark marks, checks any mole or spot that has changed, asks about pregnancy, the contraceptive pill and your medicines, and takes photographs in the same light each time. For melasma, expect a gentle plan rather than strong settings, because heat can make it worse, and a plain word that it can be improved, not cured. In Dubai, check that the doctor holds a current DHA licence.
How much does pigmentation or melasma treatment cost in Dubai?
We don't publish prices. The cost depends on the kind of pigment, the area, from the face alone to the neck, chest or hands, the treatment that suits your skin and the number of sessions, which we set together at the consultation. Not every plan uses a laser: sun spots often respond to broadband light, and for melasma the doctor often chooses radiofrequency microneedling. You know the full plan and its cost before you start.
Do you treat pigmentation only on the face, or also dark spots and melasma on the neck, chest, arms, hands and body?
Not only the face. Sun spots build up on the face, hands and chest: BBL HEROic can treat the face, neck, chest, hands or other areas of the body, and MOXI the face, neck, chest or hands. Melasma sits mainly on the cheeks, forehead, nose, upper lip and jawline, and less often on the neck or arms, where the doctor assesses it with the same care before suggesting anything. Each area is planned on its own, after any spot that looks unusual has been checked.
Can lip pigmentation or melasma on the upper lip be treated, and with a laser?
Melasma on the skin above the upper lip, yes: it is part of your melasma plan, treated gently and not necessarily with a laser, as are dark marks left there by irritation. Darkening of the lips themselves is different. It is common and has many causes, from natural colouring and inflammation to hormonal conditions, medicines and growths, so a dark spot on the lip that is new or changing is checked medically first. The doctor then tells you honestly whether one of our treatments suits it.
Which doctor treats melasma and pigmentation at your Jumeirah clinic, and do I need a dermatologist?
At CREAMÉ, 350 Al Wasl Road, Jumeirah 1, your skin is assessed by Dr. Svetlana Tagaeva, the Medical Director, or Dr. Olga Ibrakova, whose work includes BBL HEROic, MOXI and Sylfirm X. Most pigmentation can be planned by a doctor who examines your skin first. A dermatologist, a doctor who specialises in skin, hair and nails, is the one to see when a spot is new, growing or changing, or when the diagnosis is unclear and may need a small skin sample; we tell you if so.
Do men get melasma, and is skin pigmentation removal on the face different for men?
Yes, men get melasma too, though less often: by the usual estimate, about one person in ten with melasma is a man, and the share varies between studies. The patches and triggers are similar, and in studies of men, sun exposure and outdoor work were two major risk factors. We plan treatment for men and women the same way, starting with a doctor's look at the skin. One thing differs: broadband light can reduce hair growth, so the doctor takes care around a beard you want to keep.
What are the side effects of laser and light treatment for pigmentation or melasma on the face, and on dark skin?
Most are mild and short-lived: redness, warmth or swelling, usually for a few hours to a few days, and treated sun spots that darken before they flake away. Less often there are small crusts, bruising, a breakout, a cold-sore flare or, rarely, infection. The risk that matters most with pigment is uncommon: darker, or sometimes lighter, patches, more likely on darker or tanned skin, with sun soon after, or when heat provokes melasma, so settings are chosen for your skin. Blistering is uncommon and scarring rare.
What results can I expect from pigmentation or melasma treatment?
Usually, lighter and more even skin, though how much depends on the kind of pigment. Sun spots and freckles usually respond well: in a study of pulsed light, about half the people treated saw their pigment lighten by more than half. Melasma responds more unevenly: in a small study of radiofrequency microneedling in women with melasma, it was lighter after three sessions and still better at six months, though about one in ten saw it return within four months. Daily sun protection does much to keep the result.
How many sessions of pigmentation or melasma treatment will I need, and how long does each take?
Usually two to five, depending on the pigment and the treatment. Broadband light for sun spots and freckles: usually three to five sessions, three to four weeks apart, of 20 to 45 minutes for the face. MOXI for early sun spots and uneven tone: two to four, a few weeks apart, of 8 to 20 minutes. Sylfirm X for melasma and stubborn pigment: usually three to five, about four weeks apart, of 45 to 75 minutes with numbing. Melasma then needs upkeep, usually a session or two a year.
What aftercare do I need after pigmentation or melasma treatment, and how long is the downtime?
Downtime is usually short: a few hours of redness after broadband light, a few days of bronzed, flaking skin after MOXI, and a day or two of pinkness after Sylfirm X. Sun care matters most: a broad-spectrum SPF 50, ideally tinted, reapplied through the day, with a hat, shade and no long sun for at least two weeks. Wash gently, moisturise, and for a few days to a week skip scrubs, acids, retinoids, saunas, steam and hard workouts. Let darkened spots and flakes shed on their own.
Can melasma or skin pigmentation be treated during pregnancy, or after pregnancy while breastfeeding?
Not with our treatments: light, laser and radiofrequency treatments wait until after pregnancy and breastfeeding, and daily sun protection carries the plan in the meantime. Melasma is common in pregnancy, and it may lighten, sometimes fully, after the birth, so the doctor reassesses once you have finished breastfeeding and treats only what remains. It can be hard to know whether an over-the-counter lightening cream suits pregnancy, so ask your doctor before using one.
What types of melasma and pigmentation treatment are there without laser, such as microneedling, light (IPL) or a facial?
Two of our three options are not lasers. Sylfirm X is radiofrequency microneedling: fine needles deliver energy beneath the surface, which is why the doctor often chooses it for melasma and darker skin. BBL HEROic is broadband light, a form of intense pulsed light (IPL), for sun spots and freckles, used with care where there is melasma. A facial can brighten skin for a while but does not remove pigment. For melasma, daily sunscreen, ideally tinted, and, where appropriate, prescription skin care are part of the plan.
Related concerns
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Updated 27 October 2026